Postman Pat: The Movie

source: Postman Pat: The Movie

I watched this on the plane back from America and thought it was a very nice and entertaining film. It touches a lot into the privatization of the Royal Mail and Post Offices and the dangers this brings (as a twenty six year old, this was my interpretation of it anyway!). This is from a very analytical perspective though, I don't think it's purposely political and the emphasis is on humor throughout. It was nice that the setting was in his hometown with the old characters instead of the lazy smurf films where 'the characters are warped into the real world'. It was enjoyable and genuinely funny in a lot of parts. I would recommend to most people.

What an epic movie! My 3 year old boy wanted to go back to the cinema immediately and watch it again, and so we did, and he enjoyed it even more that time. I don't understand why everyone hates this film. If you haven't yet seen it, go and see it with your kids or cousins or grand children because it is a properly good film. I know, the graphics and animations aren't incredible, but, the cast, Jim Broadbent and Rupert Grint, and Simon Cowbell presenting his own show, "Your the One!" Was a great idea. Yes, the plot wasn't overly incredible but for little kids it is acceptable. All In all, this is a great film, suitable for all ages and all people. If you enjoyed the classic TV series, you will absolutely love this film. Awesome film.

Postman Pat was always a family favourite which we still all have a fondness for. Despite being warned very strongly against going to see this film and despite the trailer looking unappetising, I still saw it anyway. It was always going to be a film that would go either way, the amount of talent on board, my general love for family films and for Postman Pat could have suggested that the film would be fun and charming, but there was the worry also that it would look as muddled, target-audience-confused and hasty-looking as the trailer suggested. The film has its moments and it is not from personal opinion quite as bad as heard, but it was a big disappointment. The film begins very promisingly with a very idyllic opening that was the closest the film ever got in resembling the show, the Big Time song is a great upbeat song that has some very funny visual gags, the montage where Pat meets his wife for the first time was very touching and the "Faster Pussy-Bot, Kill Kill!" seemed like a Daleks reference and it was if the case a clever one at that. The soundtrack is catchy and bring energy to the film and the voice cast are good and very enthusiastic, David Tennant sounds like he's having a whale of a time but Steven Mangan, who's very sympathetic and dead-on as Pat, and Jim Broadbent acquit themselves very well too. Sadly, Postman Pat: The Movie is let down by that it didn't seem to know what to do with itself or know who to aim the film at. The story is rather over-complicated and confused focusing mainly on the talent show subplot and also including a Dr Who-like robot invasion/world domination one, neither of which show any originality, cleverness or charm. The satire for the former is nowhere near sharp enough, the humour actually felt to me rather forced mostly throughout the film and borders on vulgar while the latter felt thrown in and like it belonged in another film altogether, is not all that cleverly or thrillingly done and may contain bits that the younger audience may find scary or upsetting. The script would have benefited from a far more simpler approach and less going on and while it is admirable that the film did clearly think of the adult audience I think it could have done a better job at having more for the youngsters. Some of the jokes will go over their heads, unless they were introduced to Dr Who at a very young age, and if they are familiar with the whimsy and warmth that the show had the film sadly is a far cry from that. The characters are bland, the exceptions being Pat who is very likable and possibly Jess as well but the others lacked personality. The film was unevenly paced with some of the earlier parts in need of more zip and some of the later parts in need of a slow-down, most apparent in a climax that was action-packed but too busy and dark compared to the rest of the film. The soundtrack is one of the best things about Postman Pat: The Movie and Ronan Keating does a great job as Pat's singing voice but it is a case of the singing voice not matching the speaking voice especially in the tone. Just as disappointing as the writing was the animation, the opening was really promising but the rest looked like it was made in a lot of haste and had some very over-saturated and too bright colours, the characters also lack expression and on occasions look creepy, Pat is the one exception. Overall, a disappointing feature film debut of a much cherished classic character, not an awful film and has some good assets but it felt over-stuffed, muddled and bland with some cheap direct-to-video-like visuals with the opening being the only time where it bared any resemblance to the show. 4/10 Bethany Cox

The animation is very clever and the film starts off OK but quickly deteriorates. Why did they have to take a friendly, funny and kind character that my 5 year old has come to love, and transform him into a scary, red eyed monster which had my son hiding behind the sofa. At one point one of the Jess bots looks like something from Terminator. Not what I would have chosen as entertainment for my son just before he tries to go to sleep at night. I am afraid I couldn't recommend showing this film to young children. I felt let down that they had changed these well loved characters beyond recognition. One of it's only saving points were the few scenes that made me laugh, but I don't think my son understood the humour.

I took my four year old boy to watch Postman Pat and while it was a show I used to enjoy laughing at as a teenager I really wasn't expecting much from this movie. Needless to say I was blown away with the hilarity that ensued. My son was also enthralled for most of the movie (ok he got a little restless during the middle but soon again was glued to it as the movie kicked into overdrive). The others in the movie theater with me were also laughing and obviously enjoying this rollicking crazy tall story. I also did not hear any frightened kids crying or screaming for mercy. Anyone who says it is too scary for children must have VERY sheltered children, or no sense of humor (actually probably both). My boy was fine, afterward said it was a tiny bit scary but he kept telling me for the rest of the day how it was an awesome movie and how much he loved it (and no I am not a deadbeat dad who lets his kids watch horror movies or anything). Perhaps some of these people should take up being Amish or only watch re-runs of Sesame Street, or old Disney cartoons - although they probably think they are too violent as well). As for the plot, I personally loved it. Far fetched? Yes. Silly? Yes. A complete removal from reality? Yes. I mean the film makers obviously just said 'stuff it, its a kids movie who cares?' I certainly didn't, it was a ripper. Rather than tearing holes in the plot (which I usually do to great delight) I found myself applauding the filmmakers complete ability to just make a great kids movie that had me laughing at holes rather than poking my finger through them. Amazing. --- minor spoilers follow--- Any movie that has a legion of robot Postman Pats trying to take over the world for an evil corporation and a robotic Jess that shoots laser beams out of it's eyes gets my adoration as well as my approval! Looking forward to the DVD. Best kids movie I have seen since The Lego Movie and Megamind. Just awesome. 10 out of 10.

Postman Pat enters the 21st Century and loses its magic. The original series was a classic (one of my childhood favourites) and obviously you can never recreate that but they have made it worse in trying. Things in the story like Jess the Cat delivering letters and picking up sheep whilst dangling from a helicopter being flown by Pat are just silly. Or how about Pat's van that still has a knob tuning style radio? Is this a dig at Royal Mail (antiquated?). And at the start Pat enters the sorting office and it is chaos but for some reason there are lots of little bits of paper raining down, which means that customers' letters must be being shredded in the sorting process? Little things like this that do not make sense are all over the place. OK so kids are going to worry about the little things. The storyline does get quite evil with the plotting bad guy trying to take over in a maniacal Dr Evil style and the robots are scary as has been mentioned in previous reviews. The opening titles fly-through of the local area was OK but in this day and age the CGI could have been so much better with a more breathtaking world and scenics. Voices are OK, some could have been better like the more-Scottish-than-the-original Mrs Goggins (voiced by an English actor!?). David Tennant sounds like he's having fun and giving it his all, as usual. Overall it's OK but could have been so much better. Perhaps I'm being too critical being used to the original series, I don't know. P.S. Thanks IMDb for suggesting 'favourite' was 'spelt' wrong (see what I did there?), you seem to have the Microsoft default to US syndrome.

Nice (London Olympics style) intro, passable opening theme version but then horrors of horrors.....those voices...terrible. Sounds as if all the main characters have been ingesting helium. Did the Producers really buy into the franchise at all or were they just out to make a quick buck with celebrity voices and a poor tie in to a talent show. Anyone brought up on the original t.v. series will shake their heads at this very poor film. Ever watched Shaun the Sheep? that's the way to do a feature film- true to the original with MINIMUM changes. I hope this never crosses my path again and warn anyone thinking of watching this film to expect very little of the original- for that is what you will get.

I've seen the trailer and had a feeling that the movie may not be good. But after seeing it I think it was good, probably a good adaptation of a children's TV show. There are some good jokes such as breaking the fourth wall, how talent shows rely on 'talent' etc. I also like the CG animation, don't expect the animation to be like Dreamworks or Pixar, they're multimillion dollar companies. Pat was in good characterisation, you think it'll be the clichéd 'fame gone to my head lost my friends' act but no it's not. Pat is still modest, polite and caring, he only entered the singing competition so he can win tickets for his wife to Italy. The voice actors had put much effort into the characters as well, especially David Tenneat of Doctor Who fame. They've delivered great acting towards the character. As of the robots in the movie, yeah I have to admit some of it looks really creepy, pretty much Patbot 3000's smile and Jess as well. But the whole scuffle with the robots and the villain, it's very cartoony. Silly but cartoony and I love cartoony fun. The songs are good choices too to represent the movie too, though I think they should've find a voice for Pat that sounds a bit like Steve Mangan, who provided well for Pat I have to say, rather then Ronan Keating who had done some good singing in the film. I think it's a good movie and it's focused on a mature issue such as technology and TV, well some critics think that alienates the young audience, there has been many children shows that do focus on mature issues, in the right way. Overall it's a good movie. It has some silly cartoony moments, some good jokes, good acting etc. I personally recommend this movie.

Both my son and I, anticipated for the movie as we have loved the series, but after watching it, got let down. It has a rather OK "starting point" for the storyline, which consumes all movie with, and just finishes all well out of sudden. More like 5 min intro, 75 min gap and 5 min happy ending. Most annoying part was that this movie is rated universal by both MPAA and BBFC, something rather questionable, considering a whole theater of 4 and 5yo crying because one of the most peaceful and kind heroes, turned into a big bad mean monster for 70+ minutes, letting every parent to explain what's up. Nothing to do with the series, completely different feeling, mentality and atmosphere. 3* max.